Justice Systems

Overview Justice systems are a group of systems working together to keep general order, stop crime, and enforce the law of the land. Victorians were very concerned about crime, however from the “1800 to 1840 century, the offences went from 5,000 to 20,000.” E2BN Many prisoners were sent onto prison ships called “hulks”. Prisoners were seen as a lower class than the “lower class” because they didn’t have anything and had to be dressed in what was basically rags.

Further Explanation The police force was not around until 1856. They had a parish constable who was not paid. The judge (prosecutors and jurors) had supreme power in the prosecution of a person. As a result of the above, trials were generally shorter. The alternative punishment to hanging was transportation to colonies to serve a prison sentence. The lower class did not usually get lawyers because they were too expensive.

Connections To Great Expectations Earlier in the book, the convict escapes from the transportation ship (hulk), and is sent back there after he is caught. Prisoners are seen as lower class, shown by how Wemmick thinks of his prisoners as plants. Molly goes on trial for a murder case, but Magwitch is eventually blamed because Molly “couldn’t hurt a fly.”

Questions What were the names of prison ships? What was the alternative punishment to hanging? By how many offences was the increase in criminal offences from 1800-1840?

Works Cited East of England Broadband Network, et al. “The Courts and Judiciary - Victorian Crime and Punishment.” The Courts and Judiciary - Victorian Crime and Punishment, E2BN, 2006, vcp.e2bn.org/justice/section2195-the- courts-and-judiciary.html. Fowler, Hillary. “Crime and Punishment – Victorian England.” A Little Dickens for the Day., Wordpress.com, 4 Apr. 2012, alittlebitofdickens.wordpress.com/research-page-2/. Williams, Lucy. “No Place for a Lady? Back to the Victorian Penal System.” WaywardWomen, WaywardWomen, 30 Apr.2013,waywardwomen.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/no-place-for-a- lady-back-to-the-victorian-penal-system/.